Primary Thoughts

My worry at this point is that Clinton and Obama will so tear each other apart that the survivor won't be able to take on McCain. I'm for Obama, but not against Clinton. Whoever wins the nomination must end up in the White House, because I don't know if we can handle another term of the status quo.

We truly are divided as a nation, especially in the heartland. The Democrats in Kansas overwhelmingly went for Obama, while the Republicans wanted Huckabee. Far liberal vs. far conservative. There is no middle ground.

Before I backed Obama, my first choice was Edwards. This was based on his campaign rhetoric, not necessarily his record. I hope he means it.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to an influential Hillary Clinton fundraiser. When the subject of John Edwards (still in the race at that time) came up, she started sputtering about his hypocrisy. His expensive hair cut, his big house--the guy's a phony, she exclaimed derisively, and his populist, anti-Washington, help-the-poor rhetoric was all just for show. . . .

The issue is not whether he was right in his criticism of Clinton, but whether he was genuine on the campaign trail. An Edwards endorsement of Obama would not be slam-dunk evidence he's truly become a Wellstonian populist. But an Edwards endorsement of Clinton--though welcomed by the Clinton camp--would prove that Clinton fundraisers' point: he's not for real.

The John Edwards Endorsement: A Last Chance To Prove He's No Phony